"This is a painful decision," said Specter at a Tuesday afternoon news conference. "I know that I'm disappointing a lot of my friends and colleagues...[but] the disappointment runs in both directions."
Specter, 79, a veteran of 29 years in the Senate, has found his [Republican] party dominated by conservatives and himself becoming one of a handful of Republican moderates remaining among the 535 members of Congress.
"I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans," Specter said in a statement posted on a Web site devoted to politics in his home state, Pennsylvania, and confirmed by his office.
--"Veteran GOP Sen. Specter switches parties," NBC News
And so say many of us who have been philosophically moved to claim independent voter status or affiliate with the Democratic Party over the last eight years. Welcome, Senator Specter. And we welcome the prospect of a 60th vote, if needed, on important legislation such as healthcare access and reform.
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